should I bring an umbrella?

[minnieandmickeymouse]

I plan on packing plenty of ponchos for me and DD, but should I also bring an umbrella?

 

[Disneymommie]

I am not sure what time of year you are planning, but an umbrella is not match for Florida rain in the summer. The afternoon rain storms are normally down pours and blow everyway. As long as you have the ponchos why carry anything else. JMO

 

[kilee]

We bring umbrellas and poncho's. Often times we find it too muggy to wear a poncho. This way we're covered either way.

 

[Giggles]

Umbrellas aren't the greatest when it comes to WDW, just because of the wind and/or the crowds, they tend to poke people or just get in the way. My family is heading down next week, and we are bringing ponchos.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

You are going to think I am nuts... but here goes, I live here in FL & do not like to use an umbrella because I am afraid that it will attract lightning. In a regular rain, I will use it, but when we have our storms, there is no way that I will open one up. Beside the fact of attracting the lightning, the winds are usually whipping around & blow the umbrella.

In the theme parks I never use them no matte what. I am too afraid that I will poke someone that isn't watching where they are going (as well as me not watching). I have been poked & it isn't fun. I resort to my poncho, no matter how hot I am. Usually when the heavy rains come, it cools down somewhat. It is only just before it stops totally that you become really sticky from it. We carry baggies for each poncho. After we are done with them, we stick them in it's baggie & then back into the backpack/fannypack. When we get back to our room, we hang them up in the shower to dry & then repack for the next day.

 

[OKW Lover]

Umbrella's aren't a lot of good at WDW for a couple of reasons.

First, as far as keeping you dry in one of the typical afternoon thunder storms - they just don't work. The storms are accompanied by strong winds and will quickly break your umbrella. Even while the umbrella is still working, the winds will blow the rain such that the lower half of your body will be getting wet.

Second, with all the other people around you really have to watch out that you don't catch somebody else in the face with the umbrella.

 

[sleepyone]

While waiting for Spectromagic one sprinkly night in June, dh stood with an umbrella and a man was running and not looking where he was going...he ran right into the pokey thingies on dh's umbrella. The guy was p!ssed at dh and gave us the evil eye until his whole family decided to leave!

 

[missypie]

Stop and think about what you would want to be wearing and/or carrying if you were out in a steady rain the entire day...and then bring that. I brought heavy ponchos and disposable ponchos. What I WISH I would have had was a lightweight rain jacket and a water proof ball cap. I hate wearing hoods. Ponchos are hard to take off and put on again without getting the wet side on you.

HOPEFULLY you won't have rain, but plan for it. We were there in late May/early June. Of our 10 park days, it rained quite a bit for part of the day on 4 days, and rained the whole darned day on 2 of the days...so 6 rainy days out of 10. It didn't stop us, but we learned a lot about park touring in the rain. IMO, best park in the rain: MK. Worst: AK.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I don't like umbrellas, and I never carry one at home.

In January (low crowds, so not too much risk of poking other folks) we had a day where it rained and rained and RAINED. We all had rain jackets, but they just weren't helping. We bought 3 Disney umbrellas, and we used them ALL day. It was not windy and there was no lightning, so that was good.

We will absolutely be packing the umbrellas this time, and if there is a day whre they say there is a 100% coverage of rain for the entire day we will be using them! It was miserable to be rained on all day, but the umbrellas did help.